What made us 'Collingwood people'? - Add your story

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Dr Alf Andrews
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Post by Dr Alf Andrews »

Great poem. Now that really should be on every school kids English curriculum. And any kid who can't recite it ... word for word ... should automatically fail.

It's just a pity our Grand Final win was in October, though. Ah well, our next premiership will more than likely be in September. But then, hopefully we won't have the 32 years' wait either.

floreat pica
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My Ph.D. thesis, "Football: the People's Game?" is now available for viewing and/or downloading at http://alf.magpies.net
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Clemo
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Post by Clemo »

Joffa...great idea mate Image

Well...where do I start.
It all began on the GF of 1966, when I was four months from being born. The Pies had lost by 1 point. Well would you believe, if tell ya that...it all began back when I was 5 or 6 in primary school, and after Richmond's premiership in 1973 or 1974. My school friend was a Richmond supporter, so I thought I would become one too. I asked my mum and dad to buy a jumper for me. But instead of getting me a Richmond jumper they got me a Collingwood jumper by mistake. My parents were early immagrants from Italy and knew nothing about footy at the time. My dad still calls Collingwood "Collin-good" as a stir. I never asked them to return the jumper. I thought to myself. "Hmmm nice colours...I may as well support them". It was fate. But I never really got serious about supporting Collingwood until I turned 10 in 1977. I was visiting my cousin Rena's house and he would always listened to them on the radio when were were young, and coicendently they were playing Richmond that day. I'm not sure what round, but they beat them well and I was hooked. Ever since that day, I have got more and into them. My cousin and I are inseperable and have watched the Pies together on TV or live for many years. We have progressed from being supporters to season ticket holders to social club members. We've had our highs of 90 (although we missed the GF as we couldn't get tickets) and lows of 77 (and the replay), 79, 80, 81. But I can see a big future for the Pies. Look out.



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Joel
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Post by Joel »

Well for starters my whole family is Collingwood, including most of my cousins...so I guess I had to barrack for Collingwood. My earliest memory of the football was the end of the 1990 GF and I saw people crying. I didn't understand at the time exactly what had occured, pitty really..I WISH I WAS OLDER at the time.

Anyway I didn't really start to follow football till the 1992 season..I was 8 years old and would listen to the footy on the radio week in week out...and crack it majorly when Collingwood lost. The only thing I remember from the 1992 season was the final against the Saints, and I remember crying when we lost. I was devastated, and didn't come out of my bedroom for the rest of the day. I couldn't believe that we had lost.

Well I guess it had just grown from there...now I'm a mad Collingwood supporter and I couldn't imagine supporting any other team.

JDF
PieGirl39
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Post by PieGirl39 »

It was a simple decision. I had just started primary school and had never thought about it before, but when I was asked who I barracked for I automatically said Collingwood, because my mum followed them. Later I went home and checked with her what colours they wore, and asked if they were good, and that was it! I didn't watch more than 15 minutes of any match until I was about 15, except for the grand final when i watched the whole game, but at the age of 10, i didn't really appreciate how big it was.

I became really involved when I started watching the Footy Show. I was laughing my head off every thursday night and decided that since I was watching a footy show, i may as well watch the footy too - and i loved it! So I guess I can say thanks Eddie for creating another rabid Pie fan.

I don't even know where to start on what Collingwood means to me. (I've tried writing a lot of things here now, but I keep deleting them because they just don't cover it).

Thanks for starting the topic Joffa!
ck_nd
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Post by ck_nd »

I have been getting a few people email me about how this detention incident was not fair... well for the record, the detention form was filled in, entered on the roll for attendances to tuesday afternoon detention, filed and in good Collingwood fashion I didn't turn up. (Don't try this one kids.)

At the time I didn't know what I was going to say when they chased me up for not turning up to detention but I figured I would worry about it when it happened.

It never did... maybe the teacher was a Pie and marked me as being present??

Go Pies!

Carol

Some nice Magpie ppl were concerned about me in this incident...
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>He replied with, we can call the school footy team anything BUT the magpies, how about the Holy Cross Swans (our school colours were actually red and white anyways).

I replied with: "Well if you aren't going to let us call our team the 'Holy Cross Magpies' then you can call us the 'Holy Cross White Maggots' for all I care!" That comment scored me a detention!! ROFLMAO
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Don't ask yourself what the club needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that, because what Collingwood needs right now is people who have come alive.
Rohan Coventry Tateson

Post by Rohan Coventry Tateson »

helen a

Post by helen a »

what can i say, so do i and most people think im crazy, but hey......

well my dad grew up on hoodle street opposite the town hall and would go to every training and game at viccy park, he was obsessed as was the rest of the family (ofcourse, arent we all?) and i was trained from a young and vulnerable age to know of my origins, my faith in the mighty black and white.......and trained to despise, cursing the enemy!

my life has never possessed the passion and the emotions that come with being a collingwood supporter for anything else ive experienced(mind u im just 18). Collingwood is my religion and has been so since birth, and thats the way it should be. If i was to ever reproduce it would only be for the one and only reason of building support for my pies.

And i can proudly say i have converted the few indifferent football supporters i know to passionate and loyal followers(mainly converting after meeting chris tarrant hehe). A collingwood game is like no other and collingwood are the greatest. Nothing will ever change that and everybosy knows it!!

Image love ya pies Image



helen
dave_ray

Post by dave_ray »

Great topic Joffa! I sorry to disappoint you with another "family tradition" story.

My first memories of my Collingwood allegiance was when I was knee high to a grasshopper. One of my first memories was to hear my Dad yelling abuse at the top of his voice - he was watching his beloved Pies and I now understand the umpires were robbing us. This was a voice that I would share in future years.

I didn't have much choice - my Dad, his Dad and his Dad all went for Collingwood. After that I'm not sure - there was a Collingwood-Richmond split at that point in the family tree on my Dad's side. I'm glad Mum wasn't so fanatical - Mum's side notionally supported Essenscum because.

The first footy match I attended - must have been about 1976 (I was about 3). Collingwood vs Richmond at the G - the atmosphere was great but we got our arse kicked - that didn't worry me 'cause I was a Pie.

Went to school not long after that and the Pie supporters outnumbered every other ramble hands down - so much so that in later years at footy clinic it used to be the Collingwood jumpers vs the rest. That was what I really liked about The Club and its supporters - we all tended to be down to earth, banded together and to support Collingwood really meant something very important to us.

Dad wasn't around much later on in the piece (workaholic) but he took me to another match som years later Collingwood v St Kilda at VFL Park when we kicked the Aints butt. From then I used to listen to the footy on the radio just about every week.

Must admit I did really start going to watch games week-in week-out until a few years ago but it's never too late for that ... especially since we're just starting to ride the wave of success.

Good old Collingwood forever

Dave
Rohan Coventry Tateson

Post by Rohan Coventry Tateson »

I think Kristan posted a poem about Collingwood and I also found one penned about Collingwood from 1940.

Joffa and anyone appreciates Collingwood history should find this interesting.

For good old Collingwood,
Shout till the rafters ring,
Stand and drink a toast once again,
Let every loyal Magpie sing,

And drink to all the happy hours,
Drink to our champion players,
Drink to Syd our wonder captain,
The idol of our hearts always.

To our coach, to his wiles
That have won our glorious Premierships,
To the wings, to the backs,
To the "nuts" who keep kicking goals for us,
To the team, to the flag, to the Magpies
We've trusted our destinies,
To the game, to the fame, to the name,
That we cherish today.

What has he done?
Well he's always tried to uphold.
He's stuck so tight to the old black and white,
Write his name in letters of gold.
How are you? Pretty thirsty,
I say can you keep one down,
My bally oath I can
And the goat's in the garden

In Skob We Trust
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Rowdy26
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Post by Rowdy26 »

What made me a Collingwood person?

dunno, maybe the doctor who helped deliver me was wearing one of those "I hate Carlton" badges or something... parents didnt barrack for the pies... didnt have any older bros or sisters to influence me. Just lucky that at a young age I saw the light and was guided down the path that so many desire and never get to experience in their life i suppose.

Cant imagine life any other way but being a maggie. From the early years of listening to game after game on the radio marking down scores and stats and hoping that my actions would somehow increase the pies performance on the field to plastering my walls with paper plaques with Collingwood the names of the Collingwood players (from the Keays and Athas's through to the Daic's and Morwoods). Continually beating up the pies chances in the upcoming weeks with best buddies at primary school in the 80's... "yes we can still make the finals... even though we have to win the last 8 games in row". The ultimate Collingwood dream... watching the 90 final on TV and seeing the cuts across to Vic Park and other places on the telly that night and just wishing that I was there... dreaming that I was there... nagging my parents to drive me there at 10:30pm that night (to no avail unfortunately).

Collingwood is very much a passion, something that draws you in, something that you feel privileged to be part of, something that you wish all others could experience but at the same time are glad they cant, something that inspires you, makes you believe that the impossible is possible. Collingwood is black and white, what you see is what you get... there is nothing pretend, no fake red or yellow sashes, no navy blue questionmarks, just real tough but simple Black and White. Together these colours create their own magic... they symbolise Collingwood in so many ways... its said that you dream in black and white... well i feel sorry for those poor buggers who wake up each morning and dont have Collingwood to look forward to to get them through the day.

Collingwood is about the players on the ground, it is about the thousands and thousands of people in the stands, its about the individuals who maybe cant be there but really are in spirit, it is about those who hate us, its about the history, its about the present and its about the dreams of the future.

That is what Collingwood means to me.
ck_nd
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Post by ck_nd »

Rowdy that was bl**dy beautiful... straight from a black and white heart.

Go Pies!

Carol

Don't ask yourself what the club needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that, because what Collingwood needs right now is people who have come alive.
magpie jeff

Post by magpie jeff »

People

This has been fantastic i have enjoyed reading all this stuff.

Thats an excellent poem rohan where did you get that from that was teriffic.

I think the one evident finding in all these great postings is the pride and love we all have for our great club and not being ashamed in putting our inner most emotions about collingwood to paper so to speak.

I believe this is what makes us unique it sets us miles apart from the rest, ok at times we can have major bitch fights but at the end of the day it is who we are that gets us through.

When you are collingwood your collingwood for life there is no turning back, the passion for success becomes greater after each year of failure and even after failure our loyality and love will never be questioned.

And i believe all these qualities which on all accounts stemmed from the birth of collingwood in 1896 have made this club the most loved club in the country.

We are strong people, throw it at us and we'll catch it and throw it back twice as hard.
We stand in awe at our great and proud history and as one we will never stop trying in our attempt to get back on top of that mountain for that alone is the very spirit of collingwood and it is the spirit we all hold so lovingly dearly.
Thanks every one its been a pleasure reading all your replies we have stuck together well in the bad times and together we will march on to rejoice in the good times.

GOOD OLD COLLINGWOOD FOR EVER.


'you might be poor and your shoes might be broken but your mind is a palace' FROM THE NOVEL Angela's Ashes'.
PiesPremiers

Post by PiesPremiers »

The day of the 1990 Grand Final i realised i was going to be nothing but a Collingwood supporter

I remember that night like it was yesterday! the singing, the people and the players!

My family are all Collingwood so i guess that had a fair bit to do with it, but it was that night that my 5 year old mind made up that i was going to be Collingwood for a lifetime.


What Collingwood means to me?

Well, when people ask me, what do i most want to see before i die? i say another collingwood premiership. I cant wait for the day, i see that black and white jumper on the grand final stand after the final siren.

I cant wait for the end of grand final day, and to sing the club song over and over with all my collingwood mates!

I cant put into words how i would be feeling when that cup is raised at the G by the collingwood captain..the pain and the heartache that all the collingwood faithful has been through the last 7 years with no finals football, all that pain would be gone!
All the times we've gone to G knowing we werent going to win, but the kind of people we are, we still had faith. We still followed our beloved Collingwood..

Thats what its all about...



Dan
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Donny
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Post by Donny »

I lived in Myrtleford - Ovens and Murray territory - and our town team wore St Kilda colours but I wasn't particularly interested in footy.

In 1957 (aged 11)I spent 6 months in hospital at Mt. Eliza (near Frankston).
I hadn't been there long before this kid, wearing a black & white striped jumper over his pyjamas, came up to me and demanded, " Who do you barrack for !!??" "Myrtleford" I stammered.
He grabbed my two ears, looked deeply into my eyes and announced, with steely resolve, "You are now a Collingwood barracker, OK ? I asked, "What is Collingwood?" and he told me.
That year the Maggies finished 5th. and just missed the finals.

The following year was when we stopped Melbourne from winning 4 in-a-row to equal our record. The famous 1958 GF !! I was hooked !
In 1963 I was in hospital again (the Austin in Melb)and was the envy of all the other patients when Murray Weideman came to visit me with Graeme Fellowes. The big Muz invited me to Collingwood games as a guest of the club ! It was only that year that I saw my first Magpies game and when I went to Vic Park, I was allowed to sit with the players and go into the hallowed rooms !
To be a Magfan is just something so special. Hard to explain the feeling. Can't add much to the previous stories.
Proud and Loud, Joffa !
Donny
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Cam
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Post by Cam »

Coming from the North Central zone, which provided the likes of Merv Keane & Jim Jess to the Tiges naturally i wanted to barrack for them - they did clinics at our school etc. Dad had changed from Collingwood to Carlton (still dunno if i can stomach that) after the 1970 debacle, Mum was a Ron Barassi fan and barracked for whoever he was coaching or playing for. We were at the G (a fair way from Watchem in the Mallee) in 76 having watched Carlton play North and on our way out and mum said i could choose a badge from the merchandising stall. i chose a richmond one but mum (in all her wisdom) made me get a collingwood one because richmond were too filthy. (Balme, Brown etc) Pies ever since - damn hard during the 70s/80s when every b&astard would hang and use the colliwobbles word. Sublime in 90 and then years of disappointment before malthouse and ed teamed up. my son leon hopefully will barrack for the same team as his dad. go pies.

Hard at it. The Collingwood way.
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